Method and means for forming a reversible pile fabric



April 10, 1956 J. H. WEAR 2,741,196

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING A REVERSIBLE PILE FABRIC 5 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed May l2, 1952 o L mwa/1" INVENTOR J'O//Y h'. WEA/P akt- ATTORNEY` April 10, 1956 J. H. WEAR 2,741,196

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING A REVERSIBLE PILE FABRIC INVENTOR JOHN H. WEA/ ATTORNEYS April 10, 1956 .1. H. WEAR 2,741,196

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING A REvERsBLE PILE FABRIC 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed May l2, 1952 INVENTOR gig ATTORNEYS April 10, 1956 J. H. WEAR 2,741,196

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING A REVERSIBLE PILE FABRC Original Filed May 12, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 /lll(l\\\\' ,llln

INVENTOR .fOH/V H. WEAR BY 75W@ Mam f, s@

ATTORNEYS April 10, 1956 .1. H. WEAR 2,74l96 METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING A REVERSIBLE PILE FABRIC Original Filed May l2, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Wig Fig: il

mvENToR JO//V h'. WEAR BY m, ff

ATTORNEYS nite Marnon AND Manns non ronmc A nnvnasmrn aan raamt:

John H. Wear, Fairmount, Ga., assignor to Russell-Lacey Manufacturing Company, inc., a corporation of Georgia 4 Claims. (Cl. i12-'79) This invention relates to pile fabrics of the type commonly referred to as chenille, in which a pile yarn is inserted in a fabric base or backing to form a pile or tufting thereon, and more particularly to a uniquely arranged reversible pile fabric of this sort; i. e., a pile fabric in which pile or tufting is provided on both faces of the fabric base. This is a division of copending application Serial No. 287,330, tiled May 12, 1952, now Patent No. 2,696,009, dated December 7, i954, in which the reversible pile fabric isclaimed, the method and means for forming this reversible pile fabric being claimed in the present application.

'In U. S. Fatents No. 2,482,682 and No. 2,482,683, issiled September 20, i949, a reversible pile fabric is disclosed in which the pile or tufting is formed at opposite faces of the fabric base from the same pile yarn. According to the present invention there is now provided a reversible pile fabric in which the pile or tufting at each face of the fabric base is formed from separate pile yarns with the tufting on one face secured in place by the tuftin'g for the opposite face in a manner that makes it possible vtoforrn the tufting at both faces in one continuons Aoperation. The use of separate pile yarns in this way for the Vtufting at opposite faces of the fabric base allows great ileXib'ility in color and pattern design becansethe color 'treatment of the separate pile yarn can be handled independently as desired. The present invention is described infurther detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of one face of a reversible pile Yf abric embodying the present invention, with an edge portion turned for comparison of the opposite face;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail taken substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 4 to show the arrangement of a row of tufting in the pile fabric illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a similar enlarged sectionaldetail taken transversely to Fig. 2 as on the line 3 3 in Fig, 4; t

Fig, 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan detail of tufting such as is employed in the pile fabric 'illustrated in Fig. l, but with the tufting shown in straight rows;

Fig, 5 is a side elevation of a tnfting machine airan'ged accordingto the present invention for forming a reversible pile fabric such as is illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a further side elevation of the machine opposite to that shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the machine, partly in section at substantially the line indicated at 7 7 in Fig. 5;

Fig. Sis a sectional detail taken substantially on the line 8 8 in Fig. 5; and

Figs. 9, 10 and 1l, inclusive, are 'fragmentary detas corresponding generally Vto Fig. 7 and illustrating further the operating relation of the pile forming elements ofthe machine.

Referring first to Figs. 1 through 4 of the drawings, in which the 'structural arrangement is illustrated for "a pile fabric embodying the present invention, Fig. 1 shows 'a arent pilefbric ina form suitable for use as a circular rug 25 having acoriventional decorative fringe 26 attached in the usual manner at the edge thereof and provided with a tuftedsurface on both the top face 27 and the bottom face 28 thereof. t

Fig. 2 represents thestructure' of the rug 25 more in detail as comprising a fabric base 29 through which doubled portions of a first pile yarn 3Q are inserted at spaced intervals to formthe bottom f ae tufting 28 which is shown in the form of chenille lends obtained by cutting the in` serted doubled portions of the iirst pile yarn 30 the conventional manner, although it will be apparent that the bottom face tufting 28 might be left uncut in the form of loopsifdesired.

The spaced insertion of the doubled portions of the first pile yarn 30 t0 formthe bottom face tufting 28 as described above resultsin disposing intermediate portions 3i of the rst pile yarn 30 in extending relation between the inserted doubled portions and drawn against the opposite or top'face of the fabric base 29 in the manner that is characteristic 'of conventional chenille fabrics. These intermediate portionsl of the first pile yarn 30, however, are employed according lto the .present invention for securing ,the 'top face tufting 27 in place.` This is also illustrated in Fig. 2 in which the-topface tufting is shown as consisting 'of loops formed by doubled portions of a second pile yarn 32 fthatare intertwined withthe first pile yarn 3i) bythreading them beneath the intermediate portions 31of. the first pile yarn. Y l

y `Fig. 2 is arranged torepresent a single row-of the double faced tuftingfformed in this manner, while Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the relation of ladjacent lrows of such double faced tufting, although it should be noted that these figures ofthe drawings are exaggerated for purposes of illustrationeand that theadjacent rows of the double rafting may in fact befspaced so that one face of the vrug 25 Vis covered and'characteri'zed solely by the inserted tufting 2S, while the other face -is 'charat'zterized solely by the supplemental rafting 27 (which would cover and obscure the intermediate portions 31 'of the 'iirst pile yarn 30 holding it in place), to provide a 4reversible lpile fabric having the appearance illustrated `for the rug'25 in Fig. l.

The means 'by which va reversible pile fabric of this sort is formed according tothe 'present invention is illustrated in Figs. 5 through 8 o'f the drawings as comprisinga sewing :machine head 'of any usual construction asindicated generally by the reference numeral *50. YAs shown, the sewingrnachine head 50 comprises a base portion 51 which extends forwardly Vto provide work support portion at 52 4on which 4the'previousl'y mentioned fabric base 2'9'm'ay be disposed duringV the tuft'in'g or pile'forming operation. The sewing machine headS() also comprises Ya supporting arins'tructure 53 in the usual 'manner for housing a drive shaft '54 arranged vtobe driven yat its rear end through a pulley"55 and'extending forwardly'toa crank mechanism 56 arranged to l:reciprocate a Vneedle bar 57 iitted at its lower end with a^need1e`58 to which the previously mentioned iirs't pile yarn 30 runs as injFi'g. 6 to have successive double vportions vthereof inserted through the fabric base 29 for formingthe bottom face tufting 28 as will be eiplained more; in detail presently. The usual p r` esser foot 5 59 and work feeding dogs 5t) are alsoprovided Von the sewin'g'machine head 56 at the work supportportionSZ forfeeding the fabric base 29 past the needleSS as the tufting operation is carried out. In addition, an 'actuatinglinkage is arranged from an eccentric connection at"6 1 with the drive'sha'ft 54 for operating the elements 62 and 63of Va cuttingr means below the work support portion 52 for forming the chenille ends of the bottom face tufting v "2 8, although this cutting means might bereplaeed by'looperhooks for forming the bot- Y' through the eyelet 64 of a gui-de arm 65 and engaged by an associated hook element 66 for forming the supplemental -or top face tufting 27 (compare Figs. 9, l0 and ll). Both the guide arm oand 'the associated hook element 66 are mounted for lateral rocking motion about pivot shafts 67 and 63, respectively, with rock arms 69 and 7h fixed on these pivot shafts 67 and 68 for actuation by connecting rods 7l and 72 having eccentric connections at '73 and 74 with a takeoff Vshaft 75 mounted on the sewing machine head i) for driving from the drive shaft S4 through a pair of takeoff gears 76 and 77.

The manner in whichv this mechanism operates to form the reversible pile fabric of the present invention is further shown in Figs; 9 through l1V of the drawings in which the operating relation of the pile forming elements is .illus- 'V trated. in Fig. 9, the needle 53 is shown at the top of its stroke, having just recovered from inserting a doubled portion of the first pile yarn 30 inthe fabric base 29. The guide armV 65 Vat this time is rocked laterally across the path of the needle 58 so as to dispose a portion 32 of the second pile yarn that has been doubled by the associated hook element 66 in a position so that the needle 58 upon descending to insert a succeeding doubled portion of the rst pile yarn 3i) will pass between the guide arm 65 and the doubled portion 32 of the second pile yarn 32 as shown in Fig. 10. This results in threading the doubled portion 32 of the second pile yarn 32 beneath the intermediate portion 31 of the trst pile yarn 30 as this intermediate portion 31 is drawn against the top face of the fabric base 29 to secure the second pile yarn doubled portion 32' as an element of the face tufting 27 simultaneously with formation of the inserted double portion of the first pile yarn 30 as an element of the bottom face as to release the doubled second pile yarn portion 32" just secured as an element of the top face tufting 27 and thereby free the hook element 66 to move up and engage a succeeding portion of the second pile yarn 32 as illustrated in Fig. ll, after whichY the cycle of operation is repeated to form the double facetuftingrcontinuously in a single operation, as previously noted above.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as dened in the appended claims. Y

I claim: Y

Y l. A machine of the character described for forming reversible pile fabrics comprising, in combination with means incorporating a reciprocating needle for inserting successive doubled portions of a first continuous pile yarn in a fabric base at spaced intervals and thereby disposing said doubled portions to formV pile elements extending from oneface of said fabric base with connected intermediate portions of said first pile yarn drawn against the opposite face of said fabric base, means incorporating a laterally rocking guide arm for directing successive portions of a second continuous pile yarn across the path of said reciprocating needle and a hook arm laterally rocking to and from said needle and associated Vtherewith for forming said successive portions of the second pile yarn into doubled portions and holding said doubled portions of theY second pile yarn under said intermediate portions of the rst pile yarn to be secured thereby as pile elements extending from the opposite face of said fabric base.

2. In a tufting machine of the type incorporating a reciprocating needle for inserting successive doubled portions of a continuous pile yarn ina fabric base at spaced intervals and thereby disposing said doubled portions to form pile elements extending from one face of said fabric base with connected intermediate portions of said continuous pile yarn drawn against the opposite face of said fabric base, the improvement which comprises a guide arm and a related hook element for disposing successive doubled portions of an additional, separate, continuous pile yarn to form piie elements extending from said opposite face of the fabric base, and means for separately rocking said guide arm and vhoolr element laterally in timed relation with respect to said reciprocating needle and longitudinaliy with respect to the direction in which the doubled portions'of said iirst mentioned pile yarn are spaced in said fabric base, said separate pile yarn being directed by said guide arm across the path of saiclneedle prior to the insertion or" each doubled portion of said rst mentioned pile yarn and the successive doubled portions of said separate pile yarn being formed by said hook element beneath the intermediate portions of said first mentioned pile yarn as the latter are'drawn against said opposite face of the fabric base. y

3. in a tufting machine of the type incorporating a re ciprocating needle for inserting successive doubled por# tions of a continuous pile yarn in a fabric base at spaced intervals and means for cutting said doubled portions after insertion to form chenille ends extending from one face of said fabric base with intermediate portions of said pile yarn reaching between said cutA doubled portions and drawn against the opposite face of said fabric base, the improvement which comprises means for threading successive doubled portions of an additional, separate, coutinuous pile yarn under said intermediate portionsV of the first mentioned pile yarn to form pile loops extending from said opposite face of the fabric base, said lastmentioned means comprising a guide arm and an associated hook element, and means for separately rocking said guide arm and hook element laterally in timed relation with respect to said reciprocating needle and longitudinally with respect to the direction in which the doubled portions of said tirst mentioned pile yarn are spaced in said fabric base, said guide arm disposing a successive portion of said separate pile yarn across the path of-said needle prior to the insertion of each doubled portion of said iirst mentioned pile yarn and said hook element doubling each such successive portion of the separate pile yarn to form a loop beneath the intermediate portion of said iirst mentioned pile yarn as the latter isdrawn against said opposite face of the fabric base.

4. The method of forming a reversible pile fabric which comprises inserting doubled portions of a first continuous pile yarn at spaced intervals in a fabric base and `thereby disposing said doubled portions to'form pile elements extending from one face of said fabric'base with portions of said rst pile yarn between said inserted doubled portions extending and being drawn tight at the opposite face of said fabric base, disposing a doubled portion of a second continuous pile yarn at said opposite fabric base'face laterally with respect to each spaced interval beforerinsertion of each doubled portion of said first pile yarn, and holding each laterally disposed doubled portion of said second pile yarn at eachpspaced interval While inserting the succeeding doubled portion of said first pile yarn in said fabric base and drawing the adjacent portion of said first pile yarn tight at said opposite fabric base face to secure the doubled portion of said second pile yarn and then releasing said secured doubled portion as a pile element at said opposite fabric base face.

References Cited in the tile of this patent Y UNlTED STATES PATENTS 300,434 Baker June l7, 1884 Y 313,063 Corning Mar. 3, 1885 1,739,397 .iohnson Dec. l0, 1929 2,049,395 Karle July 28, 1936 2,143,681 Strain et al. Jan. l0, 1939 2,705,465 Lacey Apr. 5, 1955 

